Mithridates VI and the Pontic Kingdom

Mithridates VI Eupator, the last king of Pontos, was undoubtedly one of the most prominent figures in the late Hellenistic period. Throughout his long reign (120-63 BC), the political and cultural landscape of Asia Minor and the Black Sea area was reshaped along new lines. The authors present new archaeological research and new interpretations of various aspects of Pontic society and its contacts with the Greek world and its eastern neighbours and investigate the background for the expansion of the Pontic Kingdom that eventually led to the confrontation with Rome. Front Matter 1 Front Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 6 Introduction 8 Bibliography 14 The Search for Mithridates. Reception of Mithridates VI between the 15th and the 20th Centuries 16 Introduction 16 Mithridates as the epitome of multilingualism 17 Mithridates as the epitome of botany and antidotes 17 The death of Mithridates in popular literature 18 Tragedies of the 17th century 20 Operas of the 17th and 18th centuries 21 Mithridates in scholarly literature 22 Mithridates in Mommsen’s Römische Geschichte 25 Mithridates in the 20th century 28 Conclusion 29 Notes 29 Bibliography 33 Hellenisation and Romanisation in Pontos-Bithynia: An Overview 36 Notes 45 Bibliography 46 The Dynastic History of the Hellenistic Monarchies of Asia Minor According to the Chronography of George Synkellos 48 Conclusion 53 Notes 54 Bibliography 59 The First Royal Coinages of Pontos (from Mithridates III to Mithridates V) 64 Catalogue 67 Conclusion 88 Appendix 1: Bronzes of Mithridates II of Kommagene (c. 34-20 BC) sometimes attributed to Pontic kings. 89 Notes 90 Bibliography 92 Abbreviations 95 The Administrative Organisation of the Pontic Kingdom 96 Urbanisation and the role of cities 96 The “municipal” coinage under Mithridates VI 99 Strabon on Kappadokia 100 Military and administrative personnel 101 Bosporos 103 Pontos 104 Conclusion 104 Notes 106 Bibliography 107 The Rock-tombs of the Pontic Kings in Amaseia (Amasya) 110 Notes 119 Bibliography 120 The Death and Burial of Mithridates VI 122 Where was the final resting place of Mithridates? 124 Hellenistic royal tombs 125 Amaseia 126 Conclusion 129 Notes 129 Bibliography 130 Monuments for the King: Royal Presence in the Late Hellenistic World of Mithridates VI 132 Honours for Mithridates and benefactions by Mithridates 133 Portraits and portrait statues 134 The Prometheus-group from Pergamon 134 The monument for Mithridates on Delos 135 An approach to the imagery of the monument 138 Attempting a conclusion 140 Notes 141 Bibliography 144 Abbreviations 145 Portraits and Statues of Mithridates VI 146 Coin portraits 149 Sculpted portraits 151 Other sources for portraits of Mithridates VI 156 Notes 159 Bibliography 160 Abbreviations 163 Mithridates VI Eupator and Iran 164 Mithridates Eupator’s Black Sea Empire – some preliminaries 164 Parthia under Mithridates II the Great as the dominant power in western Asia 165 Tigranes II as a Parthian vassal and Pontic ally 169 Mithridates Eupator versus the Arsakid Empire 171 Mithridates Eupator’s and Tigranes II’s military operations in Kappadokia 173 Sulla and the Parthians in Kappadokia 175 Further struggles over Kappadokia 176 The wars between Rome and Pontos and their implications 178 Conclusions 180 Notes 181 Bibliography 187 Abbreviations 191 The Ambitions of Mithridates VI: Hellenistic Kingship and Modern Interpretations 192 Introduction 192 Ambitions and dreams 194 Pontic policies between 115-89 BC 194 Roman ambitions 198 Notes 201 Bibliography 202 Mithridates VI Eupator: Victim or Aggressor? 204 Notes 214 Bibliography 216 Troy, between Mithridates and Rome 218 Notes 226 Bibliography 230 The Earliest Application of Brass and “Pure” Copper in the Hellenistic Coinages of Asia Minor and the Northern Black Sea Coast 234 Notes 246 Bibliography 247 Abbreviations 249 The Religion and Cults of the Pontic Kingdom: Political Aspects 250 Notes 269 Bibliography 272 Abbreviations 276 Characteristics of the Temple States in Pontos 278 Introduction 278 Territories and revenues of temple states 279 Priesthood 281 Sacred slaves (hierodouloi) 281 Deities and temples 282 Zela and Anaitis 282 Komana Pontike and Ma 283 Ameria and Men Pharnakou 284 Conclusion 284 Notes 285 Bibliography 287 Komana Pontike: A City or a Sanctuary? 290 Introduction 290 The Archaeological Survey 292 Komana Pontike: A City or a Sanctuary? 303 304 304 Deniz Burcu Erciyas 305 Komana Pontike: A City or a Sanctuary? 307 308 Conclusion 311 Notes 312 Bibliography 312 The Antikythera Shipwreck and Sinope’s Culture during the Mithridatic Wars 314 Notes 318 Bibliography 319 Bosporos under the Rule of Mithridates VI Eupator 322 Notes 327 Bibliography 328 Abbreviations 329 Coin Finds from the Kuru Baš Fortified Settlement and Some Questions Concerning the History of Theodosia in the Late 2nd and 1st Centuries BC 330 List of coins from the settlement of Kuru Baš 344 Notes 350 Bibliography 352 Abbreviation 353 Indices 354 Contributors 374